Knowledge Base

What are HTTPS, TLS and SSL?

What is SSL? What does Secure Sockets Layer do? SSL is a type of digital security technology that enables encrypted communication between a website and an internet browser. This technology has become outdated today and has been completely replaced by TLS.

So what is TLS? This term is the abbreviation of Transport Layer Security and provides data confidentiality just like SSL. This is the correct term that people should start using since SSL is no longer used.

What is HTTPS? HTTPS is the secure extension of HTTP. Websites that have installed a TLS/SSL certificate can use the HTTPS protocol to establish a secure connection with the server.

The aim of SSL/TLS technology is to reliably transfer sensitive data such as personal data, payment or login details.
It is an alternative to a plain text transfer to the server where your connection is unencrypted and makes it harder for attackers to infiltrate the connection and steal your data.
SSL/TLS certificates, which are used by webmasters to keep websites safe and for people to make their payments safely, are widely recognized by people.
You can understand whether a website uses this certificate or not by seeing the green lock feature next to the URL address in the address bar.

In this guide you will learn:

What is SSL TLS and How Do They Work?

So what is an SSL certificate and how does it work? They work by digitally linking a company's identity documents with a cryptographic key. In this way, they can encrypt data transfers so that they cannot be deciphered by third parties.

How SSL/TLS creates a secure connection between two servers

SSL/TLS works by creating session keys for each trusted session, along with both a private and public key. When a visitor enters an SSL-secured address into his browser or arrives via a trusted page, the browser and the internet server establish a connection. During the first connection, a session key is created using public and private keys, which is used to encrypt and decrypt the transferred data. This session key is valid for a limited time and can only be used for the specific session for which it was created. You can tell if a website uses an SSL certificate by checking for a green bar or lock at the top of your browser. By clicking this icon, you can view the certificate findings and adjust SSL settings.

Why and When is SSL/TLS REQUIRED?

SSL/TLS is essential when sensitive information such as usernames and passwords or payment data will be transferred.

The goal of SSL/TLS technology is to ensure that only one individual — the person or organization intended by the uploader — accesses the data in transit. This is especially important when you take into account the amount of devices and servers through which data is transferred to its destination.

What does an SSL/TLS certificate protect against?

Below are the three main situations where SSL/TLS will be mandatory for your website:

When you need authentication: Any server can pretend to be your server and access the information that people transmit in the meantime. With the help of SSL/TLS, you can authenticate your server so people know that you are who you say you are.
Establishing trust: If you own an eCommerce site or want people to provide information that is important to them, you must build a certain amount of trust. By using an SSL certificate, you can visually show people that they can trust you. This is more effective than anything you can say about yourself.
If you need to comply with market standards: In some sectors, such as the financial sector, it is necessary to have a certain level of credibility. Moreover, if you want to accept credit card information capacity on your website, you need to program Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards. One of these requirements is an SSL/TLS certificate.
Remember that an SSL certificate can be used on almost any device, meaning it is a versatile trustworthy measure in today's multi-device world. SSL certificate benefits definitely deserve the necessary investment and time for installation, what do you have to lose?

Does SSL Certificate Affect SEO Rank?
Short answer: yes, effects..

With the changes it made to its algorithm in 2014, Google gave priority to websites that use SSL certificates, and they have maintained the importance they attach to SSL certificates since then. They have officially acknowledged that websites with official SSL statistics will be one step ahead, even if all other factors are equal. Since secure websites make up 1% of results, 40% of searches show at least one SSL-trusted website on the first page

will.

SSL/TLS site comparison

In practical terms, an SSL certificate only makes a small impact when it comes to SEO and does not have the impact you would get by simply getting an SSL certificate, producing fresh content, and having a good link profile. Of course, this should not be interpreted as if we should ignore it all.

Let's not forget that search engines use many different criteria when determining the rankings of websites. One of these criteria is the frequency with which people return to the search results page on your website, and by purchasing an SSL certificate, you can influence someone's decision when purchasing something from you. Many other criteria in site rating may influence whether you decide to use an SSL certificate.

Obtaining an SSL certificate will definitely affect your website's search engine ranking, but this should not be the only reason you use it. Instead, you can use an SSL certificate to build trust among your visitors and, in the meantime, contribute to your SEO rating.

Relationship Between SSL/TLS and HTTPS

When you get an SSL certificate, you set it up to transfer data using HTTPS. These two technologies are a good match and you cannot use one without the other.

URLs precede either HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). This technique determines the way random data is sent and received efficiently.

Difference between HTTP and HTTPS

This means that another way to tell if a site uses an SSL certificate is to check whether it contains HTTP or HTTPS in its URL. This is because HTTPS connections require an SSL certificate in order to work.

Chrome Shows SSL/TLS Information of a Website
Most popular web browsers, including Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge, visibly indicate whether users are accessing a site from a reliable connection. For example, in the Chrome browser, you will see a green lock icon right next to the address bar that indicates a “trusted” message. Users can click on this icon for more information about the SSL certificate.

The importance of the green lock that appears when protection is provided with HTTPS and SSL in Google Chrome

Moreover, with the introduction of Chrome 68 in June 2018, websites without an SSL/TLS certificate began to display a "Not Secure" warning.

Untrustworthy warning that occurs when there is no SSL in Chrome

While browsers take measures to actively indicate whether sites are trustworthy or not, what is beneficial for you as a website owner is to take action and make your site trustworthy. In this way, your visitors can feel that they are in a trustworthy place as soon as they enter your site.

Adding an SSL Certificate to Your Website
Adding an SSL certificate to your website can be confusing and should only be done by an expert person. You can decide whether you are ideal for this job.

As a first step, you must enable SSH access before installing the ACME client. At this point, you can create your SSL certificate and upload it from the admin section of your internet posting service. If you're ready to get started, we've prepared a detailed guide to help you.

If you are looking for a company that provides a paid SSL certificate, you should not go wrong with Hostinger. You can have a lifetime SSL certificate by paying only a one-time fee. Alternatively, annual Corporate hosting plans include a free SSL certificate.

If you have an SSL certificate ready, you can force HTTPS by adding a piece of code to your .htAccess file.

Summary

SSL certificate stands for Secure Sockets Layer (TLS stands for Transport Layer Security) and allows visitors to reliably transmit their meticulous findings to the server. They encrypt all data transmissions in a way that cannot be decrypted by third parties such as hackers and fraudsters.

You can tell whether a website uses SSL/TLS by looking at the green bar or lock sign at the top of your browser. You can see the findings of the certificate holder by clicking on this green icon in your browser.

SSL/TLS also has an impact on issues such as security, search engine optimization, and can be the factor that determines whether your site will rank ahead or behind your competitors. However, it would be a mistake to think of it as a hugely powerful SEO tool, SSL/TLS certificates should be used for their good security reasons, not just to get a better ranking in search engines.

And of course, if you need help with SSL certificates or want lifelong SSL reliability, you can contact us. We'd be happy to help!